26 FEBRUARY 2020

Bulk Mail Updates

Each year, we review our prices to make sure they reflect the cost of running our network. While we work hard to reduce costs where we can, we do need to raise them occasionally, to make sure we carry on delivering the level of service you’ve come to expect from us. As New Zealand’s largest mail and parcel delivery service, we’re committed to doing this, as well as having a sustainable delivery service now and for the future.

We continue to invest in our network and technology to support you and your customers through peak times and provide market leading service levels. However, we are also subject to a variety of changing costs within our delivery business, including road congestion, weather disruptions and continued focus on health and safety. As a result, we need to increase prices to maintain a financially viable service. We wanted to make sure you have as much notice as possible about these changes, which will come into effect on 1 July 2020.

See below for more information about how this affects the services you use. Any price or specification changes to other NZ Post services will be communicated separately at a later date.

We know change can be unsettling, which is why we wanted to give you as much notice as possible. For more information or guidance on these upcoming changes, please don’t hesitate to contact your Business Manager or call our Business Team during normal business hours on 0800 501 501.

See our questions and answers for more information.

Sending a letter within New Zealand

The cost of sending a standard letter will change on 1 July 2020.

Standard Post

Size Postage (incl GST)
Medium $1.40
Large $2.70
Oversize $4.00

BoxLink

The use of the BoxLink service has reduced greatly over the last few years, making it difficult to retain as a financially viable product. Therefore, we’ve reluctantly decided to end our BoxLink services from 1 July 2020 onwards. If you still have any pre-purchased BoxLink envelopes and postage after 1 July 2020, you can continue to use these as Standard Post. And Standard Post service will deliver your mail across town and between major towns and cities in the same, efficient timeframes as always.

Bulk Mail

The following changes to our Bulk Mail products will take effect on 1 July 2020:

  • New pricing will be introduced on all Bulk Mail products:
  • Lodgement volume tiers will no longer apply to PrintPost;
  • The PrintPost Weekly lodgement option is being withdrawn due to significant reductions in usage in recent years, making it difficult to support financially and operationally;
  • A Lodgement Data File (LDF) will be required to accompany all physical Bulk Mail lodgements via Lodgement Manager. This will now include Adcard and PrintPost;
  • Statement of Accuracy tiers will be replaced with Address Accuracy Percentage (AAP) pricing from 1 February 2021;
  • Zonal Pricing (see below for additional information about this) will be introduced for Adcard;
  • A new price will be introduced to all Bulk Mail rate cards labelled “IPC” (invalid postcode). Mail items with missing or invalid post codes will be charged this price.
  • Zone D items will be charged at prices applicable to the SOA/AAP level rather than a flat rate across all SOA/AAP tiers.

Information on changes to Bulk Mail products will be available in the Postal User Guide from 1 July 2020.

In the interim, please refer to the Bulk Mail product specifications below for more information.

Bulk Mail Rate Card

New pricing has been introduced for all Bulk Mail products.

Domestic Bulk Mail Rate Card (PDF - 102KB)

Bulk Mail chart

The Bulk Mail chart has been updated with Bulk Mail product changes.

Bulk Mail chart (PDF - 4.7MB)

Envelope Layout Standards

There are important changes to the Domestic Bulk Mail Envelope Layout Standards. These include:

  • New option on Standardised Permit for Volume Post
  • Reduction in size of Oversize for PrintPost and GoFlexible to 360mm (current usage exemptions possible upon application)
  • Clarifications on onserts requirements
  • Requirement for coversheet for Print on Plastic in cases of dark background of publication behind address banner
  • Minor clarifications in text

Full details of the changes will be available in the Domestic Bulk Mail Envelope Layout Standards, which will be published prior to 1 July 2020.

Zonal Pricing

Zonal Pricing was introduced to VolumePost and GoFlexible on 1 July 2019. This will also be introduced to Adcard on 1 July 2020.

Zonal Pricing is a pricing structure that charges different prices for mail deliveries to different areas.

Every New Zealand postcode containing delivery points has been allocated to one of four “Zones”; Zone A, Zone B, Zone C and Zone D. Each of these zones has a different price.

In addition to the above Zonal Pricing, we will apply a new pricing tier to any incorrect or missing postcodes. This pricing tier will be called IPC (Invalid PostCode). More information on Zonal Pricing and IPC terms and conditions will be available under the Adcard, GoFlexible and VolumePost sections in the Postal User Guide on 1 July 2020. In the interim, please refer to the Bulk Mail product specifications for this information.

Electronic lodging changes

Last year, the requirement to submit a Lodgement Data File (LDF) with each VolumePost and GoFlexible lodgement via Lodgement Manager was introduced.

From 1 July 2020, the requirement to submit a LDF will apply to all Bulk Mail services, (i.e. it will be extended to Adcard and PrintPost to support changes we’re making to improve address quality). A LDF is currently required for all VolumePost and GoFlexible lodgements so this requirement should not be a significant change for most customers.

The Lodgement Data File requires the physical addresses of customers receiving mail within the lodgement. No unique or identifiable customer data is required; there are no privacy concerns for your customers.

The Lodgement Data File can be either a Tab or Comma delimited file (CSV) with up to six columns of address with a postcode field and count. An interim layout example of the required Lodgement Data File layout can be found below. Final file layout examples are available at Zonal Pricing Lodgement Data File Layout Example (PDF - 277KB)

Once the Lodgement Data File has been uploaded into Lodgement Manager, along with normal lodging information (e.g. product and volume), the price will be calculated for the total lodgement.

Zonal Pricing Postcode List and Maps

Zonal Pricing Postcode List (PDF - 422KB)*

The Zonal Maps and accompanying postcode list are subject to change, as per the Postal User Guide.

* The Zonal Pricing Postcode List provides details of the postcode zone and delivery type for all valid postcodes in NZ.

Note: There are 3 listed postcodes that have no zonal mapping as they have no physical mail delivery points, i.e. all mail sent to those postcodes should be addressed to the PO Box Lobby within the postcode. These are highlighted in yellow in the PDF.

If you wish to obtain a csv version of the Zonal Pricing Postcode list, please contact [email protected]

For more information on Bulk Mail Zonal Pricing, please refer to the Postal User Guide under VolumePost and GoFlexible. In the interim, please refer to the Bulk Mail product specifications.

Pricing

Zonal Pricing rates across Adcard, VolumePost and GoFlexible can be found on the Domestic Bulk Mail Rate Card below.

Domestic Bulk Mail Rate Card (PDF - 60KB).

Statement of Accuracy/Address Accuracy Percentage

SOA will remain as a price differentiator on the until 1 February 2021, when it will be replaced by the Address Accuracy Percentage (AAP) process.

A new price will be introduced to all Bulk Mail rate cards labelled “IPC” (invalid postcode). Mail items with missing or invalid postcodes will be charged this price. These records are currently charged for VolumePost and GoFlexible lodgements at Zone D prices.

When the AAP process replaces the SOA process on 1 February 2021 the AAP will be calculated only on records with valid postcodes (records charged the IPC price will be excluded from the assessment).

“AAP” columns will replace the “SOA” in the rate cards from 1 July 2020 but SOA will still apply until 31 January 2021. All customers are required to comply with New Zealand Post addressing standards and product specifications.

Billing

Your statements will provide a breakdown of how many pieces of mail are sent to each zone for every lodgement and the associated price.

For any billing enquiries, please contact your mailhouse or NZ Post Business Manager.

See our questions and answers for more information.

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